Reflections upon the dilemmas of civilization: The wisdom of Yin-Yang dialectics By Kyong-Dong Kim

10.1163/ej.9789004160217.i-220.6

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Chapter Summary

On September 11, 2001, the world was shocked by the horrendous act of terror committed by a few religious fanatics against what is represented by the United States. Individuals on both sides of this incident may hold completely opposite views on the meaning of the action itself from their own vantage points, while there are other people around the globe who may not exactly share either view. The notion of Yin and Yang constitutes an essential element of the ancient Chinese world-view. Yin and Yang later came to be identified as representing opposite phenomena in the world, some very concrete and others more abstract, some natural and others social, and so forth. Civilizations are the product of epoch-making innovative change in the life of human beings throughout history. One of the fundamental issues in the philosophical discourses of human civilizations has always been the subject of human nature.